Ten days had passed since the delegation left the royal capital. They headed south on the Third Highway and finally entered Acray, the largest city in the south, the capital of the Heinlein marquessate and, alongside Lune, one of the largest cities in the country. The marquess was the former commander of the Royal Knights and the father of Phelps, a B-rank adventurer based in Lune.
The civil servants, knights, and squires would stay at the lord’s estate. Rooms had been reserved for the adventurers at a luxurious inn nearby. Officially, this was to give them space to unwind after the awkwardness of attending the welcome ceremony.
Unofficially, it was because of Abel, who’d become an A-rank adventurer despite being the second prince. There was an unspoken understanding among those in the know that Abel must be kept out of the Kingdom’s ceremonies as much as possible. And Marquess Alexis Heinlein was one such person aware of his real identity.
The inn where the twenty-two adventurers, including Abel and Ryo, were staying was next to the mansion, making it an ultra high-class establishment. Normally, it was the kind of place where wealthy merchants or nobles and their entourages visiting the marquess stayed. The vast lobby had marble inlay, striking the perfect balance between opulence, elegance, and comfort.
“Abel... This place is...incredible...”
“Yup. Not only is it the best in the south, but it’s also one of the most luxurious in the entire Kingdom.”
The staff were consummate professionals. They greeted the adventurers, many of whom were rough around the edges, with smiles, which made the adventurers smile back.
While Ryo and Abel were admiring the sight, two employees approached them.
“Master Abel, Master Ryo, the formalities have been taken care of, so we’ll now show you to your rooms.”
“We’ll carry your luggage.”
Their rooms were the last two on the second floor. Ryo’s featured a spacious living room with a sumptuous sofa and a stylish rocking chair. The bedroom was separate, with a plush king-sized bed. There was even an open-air bath!
“Amazing...” Ryo couldn’t contain his awe.
The employee who’d escorted him smiled, then left with a bow.
An inn run by a nobleman... It was a truly novel experience for Ryo.
After a relaxing soak in the open-air bath in his guest room, Ryo donned the provided loungewear and headed down to the dining room on the first floor. There, he found the adventurers, already half drunk... He spotted a fierce A-rank swordsman among them and moved quickly to a hidden corner to avoid being seen.
“Oh, no, you don’t, Ryo!” Abel shouted. “You’re not getting outta this!”
“Who is this Ryo? You have the wrong person.”
“The hell I do!”
A drunk Abel caught him and dragged him toward the others. They plied him with food and drink. Strangely, Ryo soon found himself sandwiched between female adventurers, who fawned over him with remarks like “Omigosh, aren’t you just adorable?” Perhaps his eastern features made him look boyish?
Since Ryo only knew a handful of adventurers in Lune, he felt totally out of his depth...
As everyone around him grew more and more drunk, so did Ryo. He staggered to and fro, eating his meat dish almost mindlessly. Then he spotted someone outside the window that shouldn’t have been there.
When they made eye contact, that person beckoned Ryo to come closer. Ryo looked around and saw that everyone else had passed out at some point. Since he was the only one awake, the individual outside must’ve been motioning to him. After arriving at this conclusion, he left the inn.
“Is that really you?” Ryo asked the man waiting outside.
“Hello, Ryo.”
It was Phelps, the leader of the White Brigade, a B-rank party based in Lune.
“Why are you here?”
“Because this is my family home, of course.”
“Ohhh, that’s right!”
Phelps A. Heinlein was Marquess Heinlein’s heir, and they were in Acray, the capital of the marquessate.
“Abel’s inside. Would you like me to fetch him for you?”
“No, I’m here to speak to you, Ryo.”
Phelps sat down in a chair on the open terrace. Ryo took the one across from him.
“Let me get straight to the point. You know about the Sect of Assassins, don’t you?”
“Um...”
Of course he did, but he hesitated, unsure whether to answer honestly.
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about...” Ryo said eventually.
“Did you know you’re a terrible liar?” Phelps pointed out with a chuckle. “I know you wiped out their village, Ryo.”
“W-Well, that was just how things turned out...” Ryo frantically explained, surprised by how much the other man knew.
“No, no, I’m not attacking you.”
“Oh, I see,” Ryo replied, relieved.
“However, the Sect is on the move again.”
“What? But the leader, he’s...”
Dead. After gifting his alchemical texts to Ryo, “Hassan” had indeed died right before the water magician’s eyes.
“I know, but someone else has taken over, and we have reason to believe that this delegation is a target.”
“What?! Why?!”
“That, I can’t say. But I can tell you we caught a few suspicious characters in this city who had been gathering information on the delegation for some time now. They confessed after we questioned them.”
Phelps’s expression didn’t change, leaving Ryo to imagine the terrifying ways in which Phelps and his people had “caught” and “questioned” the villains. He had no real evidence, but he felt like Phelps had no qualms about that sort of thing. That was one thing that made him so different from Abel. At this point, a possibility occurred to Ryo.
“Could they be targeting Abel?”
Phelps’s gaze intensified. “I take it you know his true identity?” he asked with a slight smile. Though he phrased it as a question, his face suggested he already knew the answer.
“If by that, you mean his claim of being the second prince, then yes.”
“His claim, eh?” Phelps couldn’t contain his laughter. “Well, it’s true.”
“Gah... I had a feeling that might be the case.”
Yes, he wasn’t lying, all right? God’s honest truth.
“I’m not sure if Abel is their target on this occasion. The timing feels wrong, considering how many people he’s surrounded by. Unfortunately, the odds aren’t zero...”
“Understood. I’ll look after him,” Ryo said with a firm nod. He’d already guessed that part of Phelps’s reason in coming all this way to see him was to secretly ask for help guaranteeing Abel’s safety, along with the update on the Sect’s movements.
“I appreciate it. With you on our side, we’re invincible.” Phelps stood with a smile. “Oh, by the way, the situation in Twilightland is growing more unsavory. Keep that in mind.”
Then he headed toward his family estate next door. Ryo watched him leave.
“Hm, hm, hm. And there goes a true noble scion. Not that Abel lacks refinement or anything, but... Hm, how do I put this...”
“Ryo, are you talking out loud because you know I’m right behind you?” Abel said over Ryo’s shoulder.
Ryo’s Passive Sonar had alerted him to his friend’s presence, of course. Abel had arrived just before his conversation with Phelps ended.
“No, no, of course not. Whyever would you think that, my lord?” Ryo asked.
“’Cuz all I’m hearing are lies!”
Ryo sighed. “Abel, it seems I misunderstood you.”
“Hold on. Where is this sudden revelation coming from?” Abel cocked his head curiously.
“I acknowledge that you are the second prince.”
“Ryo, you son of a... You wouldn’t believe it when I said it, but you believed Phelps? Just like that?”
“Why are you surprised? If a con man told you he was a prince, you’d find it impossible to believe, right? But if a marquess’s heir told you the same man was a prince, you’d believe him. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“I don’t think...that’s a good...analogy...” Abel shook his head slightly. “Eh, whatever. Anyway, why was Phelps here in the first place?”
“The Sect of Assassins. They’re active again and apparently targeting this delegation.” Ryo’s tone was shockingly casual, like he was discussing what to eat.
“I’ll never understand how you can be so nonchalant about the most important things,” Abel said with a sigh. He wasn’t wrong either.
“Easy! Because this time around, we have plenty of knights and adventurers with us. Which means we can slack o—I mean, rely on others! Backup! Yes, that’s it. We have backup!”
“Don’t think I missed that part about slacking off.”
“I have no idea what you are referring to, my lord.”